Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



H. SUTTEB. Breech-Loading Fire-Arms.

No. 196,399. Patentd Oct. 23, 1877;

ATTORNEYS.

N. PETER c.

x r' N S UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE;

HENRY sUTTER, or BAKER CITY, OREGON.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECHvLOADlNG puma-Amine.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,399, dated October23, 1877 application filed June 30, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY SUTTER, of

Baker City, in the county of Baker and State of Oregon, have invented anew and Improved Fire-Arm, of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawing, Figures 1 and 2 represent sectional sideelevations of my improved fire-arm, showing the same, respectively, inclosed and open position; and Fig. 3 is a top view of the same, shown inopen-position.

hinged handlever with fixed arms, that engage,

by a cross-pin, a slotted and hinged hammer frame, that serves as a lockfor the breech-block. The cross-pinbears on the hammer or hammers, andcocks the same simultaneously with the swinging down of the hammer frameor casing. A cross pin of the hammer casing engages hook-arms of thehinged breech-block,

and swings the same down in horizontal posi tion, to admit the forwardmotion of the ex tractor, which is operated by the hand-lever. Thereturn motion of the lever raises the hammer-casing, locks thebreech-block, and pushes the extractor back, leaving the hammer incocked position for firing.

Referring to the drawing, A represents the barrel or barrels, which aresecured permanently to the stock, either separate or in one piece withthe lock-casing; A single or double breech-block, B, is hinged below thebarrels, to admit of its being thrown back into horizontal positionbelow the breech, so that the barrels may be readily cleaned from thebreech in place of from the muzzle, which keeps the latter in perfectorder. The hinged breechblock B is locked rigidly to the breech of thebarrels bythe hammer frame or casing G, which is pivoted at its upperrear end to the stock, so as to swing downward, being guided by the sideplates of the lock-casing. The hammercasing C is arranged with one ortwo hammers, O and triggers 0 according as the fire-arm is arranged withthe single or double barrel. The front end of the hammer-casing O ismade in an arc of a circle, having its center in the axis of the pivot,and fitted to the correspondingly curved or concaved rear face of thebreech-block, so as to pass along the same in downward or upwarddirection for clearing or looking the breech-block.

. The hammer-frame is operated by a swinging main lever, D, that ishinged to the lockcasing-at a point vertically below the hingejoint ofthe breech-block, and locked, when in closed position, by its notchedspring rear end to a tapering lock-pin, a, of the stock. The hand-leverD engages, by fixed arms D, having an end cross-pin, b, with slots 1) ofthe hammer-casing, and slides along the same, when the lever is carriedforward by hand around its fulcrmn or hinge joint. The crosspin 1)engages, in its motion, first the hammers O and presses them back to becooked by the triggers, and carries then the hammer-frame along the rearface of the breech-block. A top cross-pin, d, of the hammer-casingengages, when the same is swung down about half the distance it isintended to travel, the upward-projecting hooks d of the breechblock, soas to swing the breech-block into open position on continuing the motionof the hammer-casing. When the lever D arrives at its outermost positionit forms contact with a lug or projection, f, of an extractor, E, andmoves the same forward, so as to throw out the shells. The hammercasingis held in downward-inclined position by the cross-pin of the mainlever, andthe breech-block in open position by the cross-pin of thehammer-casing, as shown in Fig. 2. The cartridges are then inserted intothe barrels and the lever carried back, raising thereby thehammer-casing, throwing up the breech-block, and lockin g the samerigidly to the breech by the return of the hammer-casing, and by itsbearing solidly on the rear face of the block. The breech-block pushesthe extractor back and seats the cartridges in the barrels. As thehammers have been already set into cocked position by the downwardmotion of the hammer-casing, the gun is thus ready to be fired, theparts being operated by one motion of the lever in perfectly reliablemanner. The locking action of the hammer-casing produces the rigidlocking of the breech-block, and furnishes a breech-loading gun withfixed barrels, which can be manufactured, on account of the simplicityofits construction, at less cost than most of the breech-loaders atpresent in use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Pat- 1 ent HENRY SUTTER.

